The U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL) announces a funding opportunity aimed at supporting civil society advocacy and resilience in Sri Lanka's Northern and Eastern provinces. The program seeks to strengthen collective civil society efforts, promote advocacy, and foster a thriving civic space. With a funding ceiling of $986,500 and a period of performance spanning 18 to 30 months, DRL aims to address post-conflict challenges, including high unemployment, poverty, and marginalization, particularly among women, youth, and persons with disabilities. The project will focus on empowering civil society actors to advocate for human rights, economic development, and reconciliation while engaging with government actors to achieve positive change.

The program's objectives include strengthening the operational and financial capacity of civil society organizations, improving multi-stakeholder advocacy efforts, and promoting inclusive leadership, particularly for marginalized communities. Proposed activities may involve advocacy training, policy drafting, financial capacity building, mentorship for emerging civil society leaders, and connecting local organizations with regional and international human rights mechanisms. Successful programs will align with existing initiatives while introducing innovative approaches to address challenges.

Eligible applicants include U.S.-based and foreign-based nonprofit organizations, non-governmental organizations, public international organizations, and academic institutions. Although for-profit organizations may apply, they are subject to additional review, and no profit is permitted under the award. Applicants should demonstrate past experience implementing programs in Sri Lanka, capacity for sustainable programming, and commitment to inclusion and equity for marginalized populations.

Applications must include required elements such as a proposal narrative, budget, monitoring and evaluation plan, risk analysis, and gender and inclusion analysis. Proposals should articulate clear objectives, a strong logic model, and measurable outcomes. Programs must integrate strategies for sustainability beyond DRL funding, with a focus on fostering local ownership and lasting reforms.

Proposals will be evaluated based on the quality of the project idea, ability to achieve objectives, cost-effectiveness, institutional capacity, sustainability, and monitoring and evaluation plans. DRL emphasizes innovative, inclusive programming that avoids duplicating existing efforts and instead builds on proven successes in a complementary manner. Successful applicants will demonstrate the potential to create an immediate impact while contributing to long-term systemic change.

Applications are due no later than February 17, 2025, at 11:59 PM EST via Grants.gov or SAMS Domestic. DRL anticipates notifying successful applicants approximately six to eight months after submission. Technical assistance is available through designated help desks for submission platforms. For additional information and proposal guidelines, applicants are encouraged to consult the Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) on DRL’s website.